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Jun 13, 2013

With [him] as president, "Murder, robbery, rape, adultery, and incest will be openly taught and practiced, the air will be rent with the cries of the distressed, the soil will be soaked with blood, and the nation black with crimes." [He] "writes aghast the truths of God's words; who makes not even a profession of Christianity; who is without Sabbaths; without the sanctuary, and without so much as a decent external respect for the faith and worship of Christians."

Except for the flowery language, this looks like normal blogging doesn’t it? It is telling us that with this person as president, the world will fall into amoral distress. Who is the person the apparent blogger is writing about? Thomas Jefferson.

Blogging on the Internet with attacking statements about people in response to articles is not such a new thing after all. People seem to have a need to let others know what they don’t like, more than they have a need to share useful information. Of course, in Jefferson’s time, the name of the writer of the attack was identified in the paper. Most modern-day bloggers do not have that restriction.

Today, bloggers attack with a feeling that they are anonymous. The release from any need to be polite that people feel when blogging under an assumed persona is pretty impressive. They feel that they can say things in anonymous blogs that I am sure they would not have the courage to say to the person’s face. There is also a fair amount of innuendo, gossip and speculation.

Are bloggers they really anonymous?

In Jefferson’s time, if someone wrote an attack that was untrue, there was a possibility that they could be sued for libel. Recently, there have been several interesting cases where an anonymous blogger has been located and sued for, among other things, defamation of character. When you blog on-line, the address of your computer is recorded. It might not lead directly to you, but it will lead to your general area. It is up to a forensic researcher to discover you. This occurred in the case of New Orleans businessman Fred Heebe, who was being investigated by the U.S. Attorney General’s office. Two bloggers discussing the case on the Times-Picayune website were particularly prolific and vile. The bloggers attacked Heebe, his defense attorneys and a judge. James Fitzgerald, a pioneer in the field of forensic linguistics, was hired to determine who was at the source of the blogs. He identified two Assistant U.S. attorneys, who were involved in the case, as the bloggers. Both were charged with defamation of character and one lost their job while the other was demoted and later resigned.

A new twist: sock puppets

Since nearly anyone can blog about an online article and not identify themselves, it is also true that almost anyone can blog the same article under several different names. When one person creates several different personas in the blogging community, the personas are called sock puppets, presumably because it is like having a sock puppet on each hand and having them talk to one another.

Ralph Golb is preparing to serve a six-month prison term for creating such personas. He created more than 80 blogging personas and used them to wage a battle about scholastic research. He went on to create e-mail personas that he used to augment his battle. One of his targeted victims, Robert Cargill, used a computer program to identify Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and found that the e-mails and 82 of the blogs came from the same few computers. Finally the FBI was called in. Ralph Golb was charged with, among other things, aggravated harassment, criminal impersonation, forgery and unauthorized use of the New York University library system.

Writing and saying rude things about others has been going on forever. How long bloggers will remain anonymous we have yet to find out.

References: Miller Center, University of Virginia, “Negative campaigning against Thomas Jefferson.” The New York Times, February 17, 2013 “Online Battle Over Sacred Scroll, Real-World Consequences.” The New Yorker On-line December 18, 2012, “Master of the Sock Puppets."

Ruth Haag is an environmental scientist, community activist and a business management expert who lives in downtown Sandusky.

Can you say Publius? or Poor Richard?
If you ever read Ruth's now defunct newspaper, you'd be familiar with such non-rigorous thinking on her part.

The best was her article on fracking that misstated basic high school physics.

shucks

Thu, 06/13/2013 - 6:42pm

If there was a law against idiocy, Contango would be on death row.

Contango

Thu, 06/13/2013 - 6:45pm

Re: "If there (snip)"

“Your silly immature responses are just reinforcing the premise that you are drunk.” – 4shizzle, 6/4/13 :-7

KURTje

Thu, 06/13/2013 - 6:52pm

Shizzle 1 winnie zip.

Tourist

Thu, 06/13/2013 - 9:29pm

To be more precise, I think that this column is about online "commenters" and not essentially about "bloggers." (i.e., someone commenting on a newspaper site, or on a blog, is not a "blogger," they are merely a commenter.)

Nemesis

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 12:59am

Not Ruth's first failure to grasp the meaning of something.

Sandusksquach

Thu, 06/13/2013 - 9:57pm

Sigh... everywhere Ruth writes "blogger" she should write "commentator". That is the correct way to describe one who responds to an article online. Author sometimes = blogger. Responders always = commentators. This concept seems to be beyond many of the commentators (people who respond to posts or articles [usually] anonymously) on the SR's website. Now the misuse of the term has spread to a blogger (meaning the author of this blog post).

Misrepresentations to scare commentators: In the Golb case, all the crimes he was convicted of involved creating and using fake email address to pretend to be someone else, not making comments on articles as someone else. A fine point, but an important distinction, i.e. fraud vs. parody. In the Heebe case, people were sued for defamation not "charged".

Anonimity allows people to say meaner things than they would otherwise, but that's the nature of the free speach marketplace. The SR could get rid of comments or a simple solution to this: people must log in through their FB accounts, other websites do it why not the SR?

Let's not forget the Founding Fathers wrote under pseudonyms.

Matt Westerhold

Thu, 06/13/2013 - 10:37pm

Thanks Sandusksquach. I've been thinking all day about the original anonymous blogger, his character and purpose.

Mrs. Silence Dogood
Boston, 1722

"At the time of my Birth, my Parents were on Ship-board in their Way from London to N. England. My Entrance into this troublesome World was attended with the Death of my Father, a Misfortune, which tho' I was not then capable of knowing, I shall never be able to forget; for as he, poor Man, stood upon the Deck rejoycing at my Birth, a merciless Wave entred the Ship, and in one Moment carry'd him beyond Reprieve. Thus was the first Day which I saw, the last that was seen by my Father; and thus was my disconsolate Mother at once made both a Parent and a Widow."

Licorice Schtick

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 1:47am

Umm... I shouldn't be necessary to point it out the irony here but ...

It's the inaugural entry for a new "blog," and it opens with either misunderstanding or misuse of the word "blog." Or both.

The fact that Golb's name spelled backwords is "blog" would be deliciously ironic, except that, well, HE WASN'T A BLOGGER.

Golb didn't face charges for "creating such personas" as stated. It was for using them to impersonate a real someone else and then deliberately cause them harm, specifically through fraud, impersonation and harassment.

You know why some people hate anonymity? It's the not knowing who to stay mad at for the rest of their lives.

There's a lot more honesty in meanness than in condescension, and no more harm. Anonymity means free expression without fear of retribution. Why do you think Facebook is so full of sap?

Blues

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 4:44am

Like I can't make a fake FaceBook name and page? What planet do you live on? I've contacted the SR with my email address and real name on several occasions with no response. So tell me what good comes from supplying such?

And before you tell me to produce results or call you Matt, bite me. The rudeness of no response is as easily placed in/on your lap.

Matt Westerhold

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 5:02am

I'm not sure what you're suggesting about providing your email address and real name. You should be able to register with that information without assistance. But please call me at 419-609-5866 if you need some assistance.

Blues

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 5:39am

Matt, I have emailed you and some of your staff. My email holds my real name. I am an IT and don't need your assistance on how to use email. The fact remains that I did not get ANY response. None, zero, zip, nada.

As I said, I will not call you. I don't have the time that it takes you to formulate a thought and then respond.

PS. I enjoy the SR as it is easily the best local paper in the area. This is not a cut on the paper in general. I get the hard copy delivered to my door daily afterall.

Factitious

Sat, 06/15/2013 - 1:02pm

I have tried really hard to be a paying SR customer but my imperfect efforts were subverted. Not picking on the SR here - it's typical of smaller enterprises. I'll eventually go back anyway.

The leadership and training needed to overcome the bad in human behavior and built a winning corporate culture is expensive, and resistance is strong, because from top to bottom, no one likes to think they need improvement.

Sandusksquach

Sat, 06/15/2013 - 7:17pm

Well you can't seem to maintain a functioning SR login so maybe you can't create a fake FB account. Ha!

I live on planet Faux Real.

Maggdi

Thu, 06/13/2013 - 10:28pm

Thank you Dear
The internet is a scary place... oooh! Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!
We've all been warned....
Don't pay any attention to ANYONE who blogs anonymously.
Can you also tell us who is worth our while?...
Let me guess...

Kimo

Thu, 06/13/2013 - 10:58pm

Re: "people must log in through their FB accounts, other websites do it why not the SR?"

I agree.

It makes it easier to spot a phony. There are phony FB accounts set up for the purpose of posting comments, but they stick out like a sore thumb.

Kimo

Thu, 06/13/2013 - 11:18pm

On the flip side of the coin:

I posted a comment and about a year later I did a search for that comment. The search came up with the exact comment but instead of my screen name it came back with my real name. It was one of those..... "Holy Spit" moments...... LOL
The software was able to tie the screen name to a real person but not secure enough to keep that info private. The IT people would blame that on a "computer glitch", but it amounts to garbage in, garbage out.

Truth or Fiction

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 12:04am

And the point is???? Let us be realistic. The paper uses these threads as an electronic media alternative to the purchase of papers. The printed word has been in a depression for nearly two decades. Point in case is the closing of major city newspapers and the most recent reduction in publication of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The Register looks to these threads as a means to supplement if not increase market share in this area. To "expose" individual commentators would effectively reduce participation and result in decreased interest and activity. There is no "higher plain." You must accept the bad with the good and censor accordingly.

Nemesis

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 1:03am

Most people who have a problem with anonymous commenting just want identities of those with whom they disagree in order to formulate ad hominem attacks.

If you address content, rather than identity, there's no need to know to whom you're responding.

"In response to the ACLU of Nevada’s challenge to the subpoenas, the government made numerous “secret” filings that are under seal and ex parte which the government claimed only the judge could see. No one else - not the public, the ACLU of Nevada, nor the clients in this case - could see or review them. This violates the rules governing legal actions, and established law."

"The bill, called the Internet Posting Removal Act, is sponsored by Illinois state Sen. Ira Silverstein. It states that a “web site administrator upon request shall remove any comments posted on his or her web site by an anonymous poster unless the anonymous poster agrees to attach his or her name to the post and confirms that his or her IP address, legal name, and home address are accurate.”

thinkagain

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 7:25am

Once upon a time, Elyria’s Chronicle Telegram website was a hotbed of intelligent political and social debate. Anonymous pseudonyms allowed commenters to express thoughts and feelings that otherwise would have been repressed.

The CT’s inability to contain one persistent troll predicated their misguided decision to convert to a Facebook type format.

No longer the mecca for savvy discourse, nowadays it is replete with inane comments and disparaging personal attacks from countless Facebook trolls.

P.S. In their favor, unlike the SR, they have no enforced policy of religious intolerance and viewpoint discrimination.

Pseudonyms have been used throughout recorded History in order to protect the identities of those who's critique of the wealthy and powerful could subject them to death and/or dismemberment.

Although not technically "bloggers," the pseudonyms of Voltaire, Mark Twain and Lemuel Gulliver (Jonathan Swift), come to mind.

And let us also recall the 'greatest' of Roman philosophers:

Anonymous (pronounced: A-non-ee-moose).

milemarkerzero

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 8:22am

Looks like someone is going to make a run for a political office.

Kimo

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 9:35am

Re: "If you address content, rather than identity, there's no need to know to whom you're responding."

Too much of the content is a lie that is posted over and over in the hope that if it’s posted enough times people will accept it as fact. After reading those posts one begins to wonder; who in the hell is this person?

A person who who says there is no God , hates God, it's all a fairy tale, Greek apocrypha, an imaginary friend, voices in your head --- quotes the Bible.

shucks

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 11:20am

PS

I'm sure Kimo had you in mind.

Contango

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 1:43pm

Re: "I'm sure..."

“So, his bullsh!t just hypnotizes you, huh?” – 4shizzle, 6/10/13 :-7

Contango

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 1:42pm

Re: "A person..."

“I tripped your trigger?” – 4shizzle, 6/4/13 :-7

shucks

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 2:03pm

Contango, you've made yourself look like an idiot.

Contango

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 2:15pm

Re: "...you've made,"

“Take your hate and lies somewhere else,” – 4shizzle, 4/24/13 :-7

nonconformist

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 11:15am

Hahaha! Good one :)

Nemesis

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 12:12pm

If you can't evaluate the content objectively without knowing who sent it, that only points to a deficiency in your own intellectual skills, and as a result, I have a bridge to sell you.

meowmix

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 1:19pm

Kimo--- have you ever noticed the extremely large fingers that "french model" has??? If you can, freeze frame it the minute he puts his arm around the girl. Those are some dang scary mitts that guy has....

Blues

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 10:22am

Let's just face it. Really. There really isn't anything of substance on the comment section of this or any other place that will be retained for posterity. It's a fleeting moment in cyber space. If one were to write a book and actually have a hard copy, that is another story entirely.

Take that as you will. This will be ten pages back in Neverland in no time. This lady really needs to come to grips on what she speaks of, though. As was stated earlier, a blog is different than a comment ON said blog.

Contango

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 10:32am

Re: "...retained for posterity."

Added up, most of what passes for History has been transmitted to subsequent generations orally.

Reminds me of Studs Terkel.

Blues

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 10:40am

And the winners of the wars get to write or orally pass it down, Contango. You, 4shiz and BD go at each other incessantly for no reason other than to try and one up each other. No wonder this site doesn't have an actual live forum anymore where we can bring up issues other than what the SR provides us. This newspaper can't afford a three shift personnel to always monitor the comment section, let alone a 24/7 chat hall.

shucks

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 12:06pm

-Blues
I've got a question.
Were you "luvblues2"?

Blues

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 12:40pm

Used to be till I wasn't able to post any longer, 4 shiz. 2 days of emailing Matt and Sarah why got me nowhere. I asked a simple question. No response. New email and old handle.

shucks

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 12:45pm

Why weren't you: "...able to post any longer" ?

Blues

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 12:48pm

That was my question that was never answered. Your guess is as good as mine.

shucks

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 12:53pm

Hmmmm

Blues

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 1:27pm

Look at 12:40 PM..Erased. Had to yank someone's chain in a fashion that they did not like. It wasn't off topic either. It was spot on.

Contango

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 1:49pm

Re: "You, 4shiz and BD go at each other incessantly,"

Better observe the origin of the ad hominem attacks more carefully.

Blues

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 2:07pm

The origin matters not as long as you three continue on about yourselves in the same fashion...:)

Contango

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 2:22pm

Re: "The origin..."

And one should respond to childish ad hominem attacks how?

Blues

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 2:29pm

Like an adult and ignore it after two posts minimum.

Contango

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 3:04pm

Re: "Like an adult..."

So you agree that I'm NOT the originator?

I've ignored them and others before with little to no effect. I'll take your suggestion under advisement.

Had one who occasionally posts ad hominem vitriol on here that once wrote: “My Glock is my sweet.” YIKES!

Yea, let's put our REAL names on here...

The Big Dog's back

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 4:45pm

Pahleeze. You're not the originator?

Contango

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 6:01pm

^^^ "Pahleeze. You're not the originator?" :-7

shucks

Sat, 06/15/2013 - 12:35am

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA !!!

Poor Contango, everybody picks on him - he never does anything wrong.

Contango

Sat, 06/15/2013 - 7:03am

^^^ "Poor (4shizzle), everybody picks on him - he never does anything wrong." :-7

thinkagain

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 2:22pm

Maybe if the SR locked threads when their childish bickering consumes the thread?

I'm not a big fan of locking threads, but their nonstop tit for tat on the SR “blogs” reminds of third graders in a pi$$ing contest…

Contango

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 2:30pm

Re: "Maybe if the SR locked..."

And how would or do you respond if and when they attack you?

thinkagain

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 6:14pm

While we don’t always agree, your opinions can be interesting and are usually well documented.

Having one’s own troll(s) is the curse/blessing of an opinionated commenter. I have zippy (44846GWP), he follows me wherever I go, just like my old dog. For the most part a troll does not have the intelligence to debate rationally, instead, frustrated by this inability, they resort to personal attacks. Kinda sad when you think about it.

If the SR were following their own guidelines, those attacks would be removed.

The Big Dog's back

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 8:12pm

So when you spew lies how should we respond?

goofus

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 8:36pm

Facts from credible sources renouncing the so called lies would be nice!!!!! And not coasterfan undocumented ramblings!!!!

Contango

Sat, 06/15/2013 - 7:04am

@ doggie:

"So when you spew lies how should we respond?" :-7

Matt Westerhold

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 10:40am

For better or worse, the reader comment section at sanduskyregister.com is referred to in the community as 'the Blog.'

Blues

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 10:41am

Says you.

Matt Westerhold

Sat, 06/15/2013 - 8:03am

I generally refer to it as the comments section, or comments.

Nemesis

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 12:20pm

While you may refer to it thusly, you do not speak for the community. Those in the community who know the real meaining of the word have made it pretty clear in this thread that they do not refer to it in that manner.

If you're a journalist who doesn't know how to use a word properly, do you really think you should boast about that?

Your columnists, like Sharon, Tom, and now Ruth sort of meet the standard definition of bloggers. The commenters do not. English is not only your mother tongue, it's the primary tool of your trade. This comment of yours is like a carpenter standing up in the town square and announcing to everyone that he thinks a hammer is for drilling holes.

Blues

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 12:43pm

^+1!

dorothy gale

Sat, 06/15/2013 - 7:13pm

Right on.

SamAdams

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 3:26pm

Only by people who are too ignorant to know the simple (and blatantly obvious) difference between blogs and comment posts! As the local source of news, etc., wouldn't it behoove you to EDUCATE the populace rather than capitulate to ignorance? I mean, just because too many uneducated people insist on saying "irregardless," does that mean you're going to start using that non-word in your publication any time soon? Using your blog argument, I guess that's next...

Blues

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 4:48pm

I despise that "unword" irregardless. LOL!! See? I made a new word called "unword" I said it so it must be true?

Daily I see the same names, each tirelessly expressing their thoughts on a myriad of subjects. Since they haven’t their own column, maybe technically not bloggers in the truest sense. Yet thanks to the collaborative space provided by the SR, bloggers one and all.

The Big Dog's back

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 8:15pm

Yeah, your right wing religious zealot views are so much more appealing.

Rename it from the blog to the mindless rants of the left wing loons...

shucks

Sat, 06/15/2013 - 12:37am

Spell check: Make that ' right' wing loons.

Contango

Sat, 06/15/2013 - 7:12am

Re: "Spell check:"

"Drunken pretentious rantings." - 4shizzle, 6/4/13. :-7

Centauri

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 5:37pm

"Since nearly anyone can blog about an online article and not identify themselves, it is also true that almost anyone can blog the same article under several different names. When one person creates several different personas in the blogging community, the personas are called sock puppets, presumably because it is like having a sock puppet on each hand and having them talk to one another."

How about two or more people using the same screen name on the same internet site or blog? That means two or more people sharing the same account name and password and posting comments.

Darkhorse

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 9:36pm

77 blogs and almost all of them are nasty and downright hateful. Someone must be doing something right to bring on all the hate. What a hateful nasty little town we live in that someone cannot have a difference of opinion or comment on anything.

KURTje

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 9:54pm

I concur darkh.

shucks

Sat, 06/15/2013 - 8:02am

"I've ignored them and others before with little to no effect. I'll take your suggestion under advisement." --Contango Fri, 06/14/2013 - 3:04pm

Apparently you've FAILED again.
In your mind, the rules are :' YOU don't take advice,( and since everyone is inferior to you) YOU give advice.'( Hitler had a similar attitude as you do toward people.)

Quote THIS ---------> Proverbs 18:6

" Fools’ words get them into constant quarrels;
they are asking for a beating."
.

Contango

Sat, 06/15/2013 - 8:14am

Re: "Apparently..."

“Take your hate and lies somewhere else,” – 4shizzle, 4/24/13 :-7

shucks

Sat, 06/15/2013 - 8:27am

"I've ignored them and others before with little to no effect. I'll take your suggestion under advisement." --Contango Fri, 06/14/2013 - 3:04pm

HA HA HA HA !!!

Contango

Sat, 06/15/2013 - 8:29am

Re: "HA HA HA HA !!!"

“He's gotten nuttier.” – 4shizzle, 6/5/13 :-7

KURTje

Sat, 06/15/2013 - 5:13pm

Shizzle wins again! Then there is the also ran.

xdefiance

Mon, 06/17/2013 - 1:08am

When one person creates several different personas on the internet, the personas are NOT called sock puppets. NOT CALLED SOCK PUPPETS. They are called usernames.

Obviously Ralph Golb wasn't too brilliant. Its fairly easy to maintain multiple usernames/ids for forums/blogs/everything else on the net while using a rogue IP address.

For crap shit like this post, why even hide my real IP?

Centauri

Tue, 06/18/2013 - 11:03pm

https://www.eff.org/bloggers
"One of EFF's goals is to give you a basic roadmap to the legal issues you may confront as a blogger to let you know you have rights and to encourage you to blog freely with the knowledge that your legitimate speech is protected. To that end we have created the Legal Guide for Bloggers a collection of blogger-specific FAQs addressing everything from fair use to defamation law to workplace whistle-blowing."